


Rebirth of the Eye

by DiegoonNio



Series: A Second Chance [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Drug Use, Language, M/M, Mafia AU, Modern AU, Sexual Themes, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:15:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24172669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiegoonNio/pseuds/DiegoonNio
Summary: Estinien was given a second chance at life. But even in a world with no dragons, he can’t escape the Eye of Nidhogg.Planned to update every other Sunday.
Relationships: Aymeric de Borel/Estinien Wyrmblood
Series: A Second Chance [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741468
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	1. Prologue

A loud bang woke the young Estinien up. He looked around in confusion before remembering he was in the closet. After arguing with his brother, he had locked himself in there out of spite. He didn’t want to share a room anymore so he decided the closet was going to be his new room. But it was rather chilly in there. He shivered and was stubborn for five more seconds before changing his mind. His bed was much better. His brother could move into the closet.

Moving towards the door, he stopped as he head footsteps. The door creaked softly followed by an unfamiliar, smokey smell. A man stepped inside and looked around. “Just a kid’s room. Looks like that information was false,” He grumbled before turning to leave. Estinien caught sight of an eye tattooed on his left bicep as he left the room. The boy listen closely trying to hear where the stranger had gone. After a few minutes of being too petrified to move, he slowly emerged from the closet.

“Hey…” He called weakly to his brother’s bed before realizing it was empty. Where was his brother? He patted the sheets to make sure it was actually empty before looking at the door. “Mom…? Dad…?”

Silence greeted him. Cautiously he stepped forward towards the door. He peaked out and saw the same hallway like normal. However in the darkness it appeared longer and as if something would jump out at him. Even the air smelt different. It had an iron hint to it. Gathering his courage, he slowly made his way to his parent’s room. “Mom… Da-“

His words cut off as he stepped in front of their doorway. The door was ajar and a streetlight near the window let him see the room. On the floor laid his father staring back at him. Blood running down from a hole in his head and his chest. Further back he could see mother cradling his brother in a pool of their own blood.

All he could do was scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part one in a three part series. I wanted to try working on a Mafia story.  
> The Song: G'raha/WoL coffee shop AU  
> -Rated E (maybe T later)  
> -Updates Sunday every other week
> 
> Rebirth of the Eye: Aymeric/Estinien Mafia AU  
> -Rated M  
> -Updates on the opposite Sunday from The Song
> 
> One Step Forward: Thancred/???  
> -Rated T (maybe M later)  
> -On Hiatus  
> And possibly a Haurchefant/WoL one shot because that's still my favorite.
> 
> You can find me on Twitter @diegoonnio. I'll be working on art over there.


	2. A long day at work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Estinien is a surprisingly good worker. When he wants to be...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has not been proofread yet. My goal is to post every Wednesday and I'm not going to fail before I even start!
> 
> This story is a part of A Second Chance series. Some points are expanded on in other works.

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

Estinien groaned in annoyance before fumbling for his phone. It took a few seconds before the racket was silenced. Tossing the device to the side, he began to doze off again. Unfortunately that was interrupted by his phone again.

_RING RING RING_

Growling, he felt around for the wretched thing until he finally found it. “What?” He snapped without bothering to check who it was.

“Were you about to go back to sleep?” A smooth voice chuckled in amusement causing a small smile to tug on Estinien’s lips.

“No. I’m already up,” He lied as he got up and began to fish around the messy floor for a clean pair of clothes. “I was about to step into the shower.”

“Now I know you’re lying,” Aymeric sighed in disappointment. “Just make sure you don’t smell too much. I’d feel bad for your coworkers.”

“Yes, mother,” Estinien snorted in dismissal but smelt under his armpit anyway. He was fresh enough.

Aymeric shook his head silently knowing his words were meaningless. “As long as you show up to work, I will not say anymore. But that’s not the only reason I called. I ran a bit late today so no lunch today.”

“I told you before, I don’t need your lunches,” Estinien commented after finishing getting dressed. He began looking through the mostly bare cupboards for food and pulled out a box of cereal. “But it’s odd for you to wake up late. Something happen?”

There was a small pause. “No. I just had some extra work is all,” The other finally replied. Estinien was about to call out this lie but was interrupted. “Apologies. I have to get ready for class now. It looks like some students have questions. I’ll see you after work?”

“Yeah. See you,” The white haired man grumbled before hanging up. Knowing Aymeric, it wasn’t the teaching job that kept him up late. It was the other job. He’d questioned the man later. For now, he’d focus on breakfast. He grabbed some milk and began to chow down. Taking a hand full of cereal from the box, he munched on it before sniffing the bottle of milk. Deeming it probably okay, he drank it.

Once his hunger was sated, he headed to work. It wasn’t a terrible job. For the most part he could ignore people and focus on making drinks. Most of his coworkers enjoyed working the front except for that damn midget. She enjoyed making him do everything he hated. He prayed she wouldn’t be working today.

Finally he arrived. Stepping inside, he was relieved to see Thancred chatting with a friend. The man waved at him. “You’re here early, Estinien,” He commented with a friendly smile. “Have you finally decided to a proper working citizen?”

“No. I’m just here to steal coffee and run,” The Elezen smirked as he stepped behind the counter to make himself a drink. “You can handle the store by yourself, right?”

“Oh no you don’t. Only workers get free drinks,” Thancred chided before turned back to his friend with a sad expression. “See, Uri? With co-workers like him, you have to believe that I’m abused here.”

Estinien shot a look at the other causing Urianger to laugh. “He might be a bit rough around the edges but Miss Krille seems nice to treat you nice enough.”

Before Thancred could answer that, Estinien was jumping in. “It’s a farce. Once Thancred relaxes around her then she’ll show her true form. She’s like a damn Chihuahua.”

“Watch your tongue. She should be back from lunch any time now.”

“Fuck, I was hoping it was anyone but her,” Estinien scowled as he finished making his drink. Not bothering with a lid, he headed to the back. “Yell at me when she arrives. I need to mentally prepare myself.”

He heard the two laugh as he stepped into the backroom. Sitting down, he half-listened to them talk about Thancred’s job at a bar. It was mostly about girls so he tuned them out as he played with his phone. The battery was already at 66 percent. Clicking his tongue, he shot Aymeric a quick message about seeing him after work and shut it off. He really needed a new phone.

Sipping his drink, he was enjoying the solitude when the bell at the door jingled. A familiar voice greeted the two out front and he instantly grimaced. He wasn’t ready for _her_ yet.

“And what are you two up to?” Krille asked as she made her way to the counter. “Is Estinien here yet?”

“Yeah, he’s in back,” Thancred replied as he began to take off his apron. The smaller offered a hand out to take it. “We were just talking about the bar. There were a lot of interesting characters last night.”

“How so?” She questioned before quickly stepping into the back to hangup the man’s apron and grab hers. Seeing Estinien, she looked at his cup with a smile and mouthed, ‘Good boy,’ causing him to glare at her as she left.

“Well…”Thancred began before shaking his head. “There was this one girl who kept asking for virgin drinks because that was the best way for a virgin to get drunk. So I did and she began acting very drunk.”

Krille laughed politely at the story. “I want to think you’re exaggerating but I’ve seen people like that.”

“But not everyone was an amusing story,” Urianger noted as his eyebrows furrowed. “What about the man you messaged me about? The one with the tattoo on his arm?”

Both Krille and Thancred gestured for the man to shut-up but Estinien was already stepping out front. “What tattoo?”

“It’s nothing,” The Hyur tried to reassure but Estinien wasn’t buying it. He sighed before trying to explain. “Don’t worry about it. The tattoo was a dragoon. I was only weary of him because it looked like he could have had a weapon on him.”

“So? Which arm was it-“

“Estinien.” Krille interrupted sharply. The two stared at each other for a moment before she turned to look at the other two. “I think you should go. You mentioned meeting with Moenbryda, right? Best not to keep her waiting.”

“Right… Lets go, Urianger,” Thancred said before grabbing his friend and quickly leaving before they could be stopped. Meanwhile Estinien was still glaring at Krille.

“Do you know something?”

She sighed as she began to clean the counter. “Only that your imagination seems to only work when Nidhogg is involved. Dragons are a common tattoo design. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

“But—“

“No buts,” She snapped. The two glared at each other for a moment before Estinien backed down first. “Remember your promise? I introduced you to Minfilia because you said you would stop chasing after Nidhogg. You were lucky last time but next time could be different. So please, stop chasing them.”

The Elezen was quiet for a moment before his shoulders slumped. “Fine. But only because Aymeric would worry,” He grumbled before looking around the shop. “What needs to be done?”

Krille smiled softly and didn’t comment. As long as he was keep his nose clean, she wouldn’t bother him. “Thancred was in the middle of unloading the shipment before we got busy, How about you get started on that?”

“On it,” He replied as he stepped into the back. Krille may have been a brat to him but he knew she meant well. Although he would never admit it, she had been a great help since the incident. He scowled at the bag of beans he was holding. It had been another incident he shouldn’t have been a part of.

It had been seven years ago. Aymeric had finally talked him into trying out college. It wasn’t as bad as he expected. In fact, he almost enjoyed it. There were a couple of options he was thinking of trying and he thought he finally got his life together. Unfortunately he heard a rumor about a man with a tattoo of an eye.

From there school became a blur. He recalled Aymeric and Alberic worrying over him but he had ignored them. Then his college days ended when the incident happened. All he could remember was a party and then he was woken up by sirens; struggling to breath while surround by blood. The following year was a mess as he got treated for drug addiction. He had overdosed on Dragon’s Blood, an illegal drug he couldn’t remember taking.

Afterwards he learned he had been arrested for murder and possession of drugs but Aymeric had bailed him out. Instead he got fined with minor offenses which again, Aymeric handled. That man had helped him more than he deserved. Even when they were little, Aymeric had always been there.

“Estinien! I need help out front,” Krille called bringing Estinien back to reality. He shoved the last box of items onto a shelf and moved to the front to help. A row of cups were waiting for him while Lalafell took cashiered and grabbed pastries. He set to work on the drinks and quickly got them out. Although his customer service skills were lacking, he could make a drink.

People came and went steadily for an hour before the front was finally cleared. Estinien grumbled as he quickly restocked essentials before another rush came by. “Does everyone and their fucking dog want chocolate today?”

“Customers,” Krille hissed as she smack his arm. Smiling, she turned back to a group that were heading out. “Thank-you! Please come again.”

He watched as the group left and once the door shut, he continued his grumbling. “They were too busy looking at their phones to even notice each other.”

“It’s called being connected. If you had friends, you’d know what that’s like,” She teased before beginning to restock the pastry shelves.

“I have enough friends that I don’t need to be glue to my phone while I hanging out with them.”

“Complaining about being glued to a phone? Your age is showing.”

“Stop making me sound old!” They began to argue over nothing serious. It was just how their relationship worked. However their loudness made it sound worse than it was. At the sound of the bell, the two instantly stopped bickering to greet the newcomer. “…It’s just G’raha.”

He and Krille continued to banter as their co-worker joined them. Estinien didn’t have much of an opinion on the Miqo’te but that changed when G’raha handed him a calzone and juice box from Aymeric. He didn’t know how the two knew each other but he didn’t care. He thought he was going to starve today.

“Eat in the backroom if you have to eat now! And with that, I’m done baby-sitting. I’ll see you later, Raha. Tell me if causes any problems,” Krille waved as he took her leave. The Elezen grumbled but did as he was told. As he stuffed his face, he turned on his phone to thank Aymeric for the meal. He knew the other was in a class so he didn’t bother waiting for a reply.

Finishing up his meal, he noticed talking out front. G’raha was sounding a bit flustered. Instead of helping like a good coworker, he listened in on their conversation. He smiled in amusement. They were flirting out there. It was almost painful to listen to but kind of endearing. Once he heard the customer leave, he exited the backroom.

“Why are you acting like a love-struck teenager?” The Elezen smirked before moving to one of the machines and noticed the inventory sheet nearby. “Looks like you’re taking stock. I’ll finish cleaning the machines.”

G’raha muttered something and quickly got to work to hide his embarrassment. The two worked quietly for a while until bordem caught up with them. “So… how do you know Aymeric?”

“I wouldn’t say I know him,” G’raha explaining as he tried to shove the last of the tea packets into the display.“I’ve just seem in here a lot and on campus.”

“You have classes with him?”

He shook his head. “No. I’m a history major. Doesn’t he teach business? Or was it law…?”

“Both,” Estinien replied proudly. “He graduated in business with an emphasis- minor? I forgot but it had to do with commercial law. He’s not a lawyer but he can advise and protect a business from getting in trouble.”

“Wow… and he chose to be a professor? I thought business men made bank.”

“He does stuff on the side,” He replied as he prepared to reflect any questions that the other asked. Luckily some customers entered causing their conversation to end. He silently praised Halone as he got ready to prepare their drinks. Aymeric’s history wasn’t something for casual conversation.

The two didn’t talk casually for the rest of his shift. It wasn’t a huge rush but it was enough to keep them busy. Especially with how ridiculous some of the orders were. “Eight espresso shots, 10 pumps of mocha, vanila, and caramel made with heavy cream,” Estinien grumbled when the store was finally cleared. “Oh but lets get that sugar-free because he was ‘trying to be healthy’. That’s 300% of your daily fat right there. Just buy some damn ice cream!”

“It wasn’t that bad,” G’raha chuckled as he began to clean up.

“I had to remake it three fucking times.”

The Miqo’te smiled while trying not to laugh at his coworker. “Look on the bright side; you’re almost done.”

Estinien looked at the clock and almost cheered. “Finally. Mayhaps I can drag Aymeric to the bar tonight. He could use a break.”

“Sounds like you’re talking about yourself,” G’raha teased as he tossed the other a rag. “Ah, but he said he’d be working late. We just had midterms so I’m guessing he’s grading whatever he assigned.”

“Then we’ll drink when he’s done,” The Elezen huffed while cleaning up the drink station. This time it didn’t take him long to finish restocking and cleaning up.” Hey. Mind if I leave a little early?”

“Wow. Abandoning me with this crowd?” G’raha replied sarcastically as he gestured to the empty store. “Go ahead. More tips for me.”

Estinien grinned before turning to make tea. Filling a cup with hot water, he paused as he stared at the overstocked tea display. “This isn’t how you stock tea,” He commented while trying to pull a packet out. Finally the tea was brewing and he went to hang up his apron. He did a quick glance over the store to make sure G’raha was prepared before finishing the tea with a bit of birch syrup.

“I don’t complain about how you stock pastries,” G’raha counted before shooing the other out the door. “Now go so I can totally not play on my phone while alone.”

The Elezen barked out a laugh as he exited the store with his drink. At the mention of phones, he was tempted to message Krille but decided to wait until he reached Aymeric’s office. It would be something to do while the professor did whatever professor’s did.

He quickly made his way to the nearby campus and headed to the business building. Since he had been here so many times, it was easy to find. Soon he was walking down the empty halls until he made it Aymeric’s office. Hearing no voices, he knocked and entered without waiting for a response.

“Come i- Oh, Estinien. Off so soon?” Aymeric greeted as he gestured to the chairs and couch. “I’m afraid I still have a lot more to grade but you’re welcome to stay if you wish.”

“So I heard. Midterms, right?” Estinien asked as he set down the cup down on Aymeric’s desk. He was pleased as he saw the man’s eyes light up.

“Correct. I decided to go with essay questions which is great for help them learn instead of retain but that means more work for me,” The professor sighed before taking a sip of the drink. He smiled softly at the familiar taste. “Perfect as always. Thank-you.”

“It’s nothing,” Estinien replied while taking a seat on the couch. “It’s your weekend, right? Want to go to the _Falling Snow_? I think Haurchefant is working tonight. He’d be happy to see us both.”

“Hmm… I think I just want to go to bed after this,” Aymeric said after a moment of thought. Estinien shrugged and moved to lay down. “Mayhaps another time. And shoes off the couch.”

Estinien kicked his shoes off before getting comfortable. “Alright. Another time then. Your treat,” He teased before pulling out his phone. The two fell into a comfortable silence as Aymeric worked and he messaged Krille about G’raha meeting a boy. As he waited for a reply, the screen shut off. “Shite.”

“Is something amiss?”

“Phone died again. Guess I need a new battery,” He sighed before pocketing the currently useless device.

“More like you need a new phone,” Aymeric remarked before pulling out his and tossing it over to the other to play with. “I’m free this weekend. We could go and-“

“For the last time no. I don’t want to owe you more than I already do,” Estinien grumbled as he unlocked the phone and decided to go online.

The professor shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything. I want to do this.”

“Drop it,” Estinien grumbled and the other sighed before falling quiet. It was awkward for a few minutes but the two started making comments and it went back to the comfortable silence between them. An hour passed and Estinien switched to a game he had downloaded earlier. He was about to reach a high score when the screen switched to an incoming call.

“Who is it?”

Pissed his game was ruined, Estinien glared at the screen before growling at the name. “It’s Zephirin.”

Aymeric blinked in surprise before gesturing for the phone. Estinien handed it over with a scowl. Any call from that man couldn’t be good. Aymeric gestured at him to be quiet before answering. “This is Aymeric.”

The professor nodded as he listened. “Yes. I’m aware of that deal. Of course.” There was more before he frowned. “I’m not sure… The people in this area- yes. Yes, I understand but-“ He was beginning to look frustrated the longer the conversation went on. “Now that’s impossible. That would be-“

He froze as his face switched to surprise. “He’s what? No. Yes. I understand. Alright. Understood. I’ll have someone ready. Of course. Send me the information at your earliest convenience.” His expression was serious and a flash of alarm crossed it as he glanced at Estinien. “That’s none of your concern. Thank-you for informing me. Yes. I’ll keep you updated. Good night.”

Aymeric slammed his finger on the hang up button before tossing his phone onto the table. Estinien was quiet as he waited for him to speak. “…I change my mind. Drinks tonight sound fantastic.”

“Are you going to tell me what that was about?”

Aymeric closed his eyes as he let out a deep sigh.

“My father is planning to visit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That went a slightly different direction that I planned but it works. I was thinking about rating this T but I want Estinien and Grinnaux to say fuck.  
> I hope you all enjoy~ Remember that kudos and comments are great motivators.
> 
> You can follow me on twitter @diegoonnio


	3. Getting Your Friend Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Estinien wanted to get Aymeric drunk. Now he doesn't have to. He doesn't know if that's a good thing or not...

“Mayhaps you should pace yourself more,” Estinien commented as he watched Aymeric down his fourth drink. Although he said that, he was enticed by the sight of the graceful Elezen chugging hard liquor effortlessly. “That going to hit you hard.”

Aymeric pulled the mug away and made sure it was empty before setting it down. “That’s the point,” He said with a stressed smile. Turning away from Estinien, he waved for another round.

“This isn’t like you. Calm down,” Estinien advised earning a grunt of annoyance from his friend. “Shite, Aymeric. You’ve handled worse. Stop panicing and actually enjoy the drinks.”

“Estinien is the one giving good advice? When did hell freeze over?” Haurchefant gasped as he set down their drinks. He looked between the two with a smile as he waited for one of them two speak. When they didn’t, he finally asked, “So… what happened?”

“My father is coming to visit,” Aymeric sighed as he took the mug. “Zephirin called earlier saying he’ll be here next week for a few day. That’s it.”

“Thordan?” Haurchefant asked even if it was more rhetorical. With a frown, he pulled out his phone. “Considering they came here a couple of times last time, I should make sure no newbies are working. We were fine but there were a couple close calls. Any idea why he’s visiting?”

“No idea and that’s what makes it worse,” Aymeric grumbled before drinking. The other two exchanged concerned glances before he continued. “I’ve done everything he asked so he would stay away. What if he’s trying to take over? I’ve heard he’s been dabbling in the drug trade and the University is the perfect clientele for that. Nidhogg’s already gotten the students interested. Ah…” He trailed off as he glanced over at his friend in worry.

“Well now that we’re on the subject of Nidhogg…” Estinien started calmly but his gaze was sharp as he looked at Haurchefant. “Thancred mentioned an interesting guy was here last night. A bastard with a tattoo of a dragon.”

Steel blue eyes widened in surprise as he looked between the two. “Estinien… You said you wouldn’t look into that anymore. Besides, a tattoo of a dragon isn’t that uncommon.”

“Nidhogg specialized in the drug Dragon’s Blood. It could do with him.”

Aymeric opened his mouth to counter but slowly closed it. He was a little curious about it too. Slowly he turned to look at Haurchefant who calmly shrugged. “I don’t have much to add. All I can say is it was definitely a dragon tattoo and it looked like he was waiting for someone. He looked dangerous so we kept an eye on him but he left without meeting anyone. I can give you a description of him if you like.”

Estinien was about to accept when Aymeric cut him off. “I’ll take that information. Estinien, you shut your ears.”

“But Aymeric-“

“No buts,” The darker huffed before looking back at Haurchefant. “Now tell me what you know.”

The other two exchanged glances before Estinien snorted. “I told him he would get drunk fast. Just humor him. I’ll fill him in he can’t remember in the morning.”

“Alright… but you better keep your nose clean, Estinien. You promised,” Haurchefant warned before turning to Aymeric. “Well he looked pretty normal. At a glance he looked like a server who just got off for the night. But there was that look in his eyes that you see with murderers and drug addicts. He didn’t care what happened to others as long as he got what he wanted.”

“Like a sociopath,” Aymeric nodded. “That’s most helpful.”

Estinien groaned as he shook his head. “Like hell it is. Tell us more about how he looked.”

Haurchefant laughed at them. “It’s amusing seeing you being the astute one, Estinien. Lets see… he had black hair a little shorter that mine and red eyes. Tan and his tattoo had to be higher than here because I never saw it with his shirt-“

“Wait. You never fucking saw it?” Estinien growled in annoyance. “Then how did you fucking know he had one?”

“Thancred said he caught sight of it when the man scratched his arm.”

Estinien sighed in disbelief before grabbing his mug. “So it might not have even been a damn dragon to begin with.”

“Unfortunately not,” The bartender admitted with a sheepish smile. “But I trust Thancred’s hunch. He’s good at that kind of thing.”

“Don’t frown,” Aymeric smiled as his friend with an unfocused stare. “We just learned a lot.”

“We didn’t fucking learn anything,” Estinien scowled after finishing the rest of his drink. He looked at the other’s glass before motioning him to finish it. “Although I guess now I won’t be jumping into gods know what kind of shit.”

Aymeric finished the rest of his drink. Smiling at his friend, he gently patted him. “Good boy. Don’t get into dangerous situations.”

“…We’ll take one more round. Give me something lighter so I can make sure to get his drunk ass home.”

“Alright,” Haurchefant laughed as he went to fetch them the two drinks. He returned to see Aymeric tittering slightly with a lopsided grin. “Are you sure he can handle another one?”

“I’ll be fine,” The darker laughed as he reached for a drink. He steadied himself before drinking it.

The bartender chuckled before handing Estinien the lighter one. “You’re a terrible influence on him.”

“I’m aware,” Estinien replied with a smirk before drinking his own.

“At least I know you’ll keep him safe,” Haurchefant commented with a small. A customer called for him and he turned to go help them leaving the two alone again. They drank in a comfortable silence until Aymeric started giggle quietly.

Estinien glanced over to see the man smiling to himself as if he thought of something funny. To anyone else he’d look rather sober. But his sharp gaze was softer and he was swaying a bit. Noticing eyes on him, he turned to face his friend. “Is something on my face?”

“Just admiring how put together you look even when fucking drunk,” Estinien snorted while turning back to his alcohol.

“Jealous?”

“A bit.”

The two laughed as their conversation turned to lighter topics. This was what Estinien had wanted when he had suggested going out for drinks. A peaceful night with no worries. Unfortunately as the professor started talking about school, his mind began to wander. If Thordan was visiting than something was definitely up. He couldn’t leave Aymeric alone for his safety and sanity.

“Estinyan,” The darker hummed as he poked the man. “You’re zoning out. I think you’ve had enough to drink.”

“ _I’ve_ had enough to drink?” He snorted before holding out his hand. “Give me your phone. I’ll get Lucia.”

“I got it,” Aymeric huffed while he reached for his phone. After a minute of fumbling with it, he handed it over to his friend. Although it was quiet enough in the lounge, Estinien tried messaging first. He received a response almost instantly and quickly gave her their location.

“Kay, she’ll be her in ten minutes,” Estinien announced before setting the phone on the counter where they could see it easily. He jumped slightly as Aymeric suddenly leaned against him. “What’s wrong?”

“Sleepy.”

He chuckled quietly as he gently ruffled the black locks of hair. “Don’t worry. Your ride will be here soon.”

“Mhmmm. Stay the night?” Aymeric questioned while leaning into the touch.

“That’s gay.”

“So?” Steel blue eyes turned to him with a focused gaze before being distracted as the phone dinged. Estinien quickly grabbed it.

“Missing all the lights. Arriving shortly,” He read as his face heating up. Reminding himself that Aymeric was drunk, he handed the phone back to him. “Lets wait outside. Come on.”

The darker Elezen whined quietly as he was forced up. Using his friend as support, the two slowly made their way to the exit. It took a few minutes but eventually they reached the outside where a sleek, midnight-blue car was waiting. A blond woman in a suit stepped out, opened the back door, and looked at them both.

“…you’re a terrible influence on him.”

“I already received that compliment tonight,” Estinien grinned as he tried to help Aymeric into the car. Unfortunately, the dark Elezen wanted to give his assistant a hug. “Get in the damn car and let her do her fucking job.”

“She works really hard.” Aymeric smiled while being shoved into the back seat. Sitting up straight, he managed to put on his seatbelt without too much trouble before point at Estinien’s seatbelt. “You too.”

The silver haired man huffed before doing as he was told. “Yes, mom.”

Lucia adjust the mirror so she could see both them and traffic. “Will you be spending the night, Mr. Estinien?”

“He will be,” Aymeric answered with a lopsided smile. The woman faintly frowned.

“Why is he wasted?”

“Thordan’s visiting,” Estinien replied as he caught sight of her shocked expression. “We got the call a couple hours ago. He’ll be here in a week for gods knows what. That’s when Aymeric decided to drink. In my defence, I told him to sold down.”

“I’m sure you did,” Lucia said in a neutral tone. She didn’t believe him. “Let him know I will be alerting the others of this. My phone will be on if he needs me.”

“You trust me with your precious boss?”

She glanced back through the mirror. “You may be an idiot, but you’ve proven your loyalty to Aymeric. You’re one of the few people I trust with him.”

“…well, shite. Looks like I drank too much if I’m hearing things,” He muttered earning a small chuckle from the front seat.

Aymeric patted his shoulder. “You need to drink less, my friend.”

“I don’t need to hear that from you!”

The two continued to bicker a bit but the rest of the car ride was uneventful. Eventually Lucia turned into a parking garage under a large apartment complex. Finding her spot, she parked and opened the door for Aymeric. He managed to get out but Estinien helped support him before he fell over.

Making their way to the elevators, Lucia scanned scanned her card for her floor first. They were quiet on the way up until they were almost there. “Make sure he drinks some water before he goes to bed.”

“I thought you trusted me,” Estinien snorted as they reached her floor. He had to stop Aymeric from trying to get off.

“I do,” She replied before stepping off. Turning, she shot him a smirk. “Doesn’t mean I don’t question your intelligence.”

“Bitch,” Estinien growled as a smile tugged on his lips. He tapped the card for Aymeric’s floor and typed in the passcode. Soon they were moving again but this time it was only a couple floors.

As the doors opened, he practically drug his drunk friend towards his apartment. Struggling with the door, he eventually got them inside. Although the place was large and fancy, it was decorated modestly. Practically tossing Aymeric onto a couch, he went to fetch some water. “Alright. Time to drink something boring.”

“I just want to sleep,” The darker Elezen muttered as he loosened his collar. He frowned as a glass was shoved in his face but he took it to drink. He had to be helped so it didn’t spill all over him. “Happy?”

“Yes.” Estinien nodded while taking the empty glass away. Helping the man to bed, he helped him undress. His fingers paused halfway through unbuttoning as he stared at Aymeric’s unmarked chest. He frowned slightly as a faint memory of the man being stabbed drifted in the back of his mind. But that couldn’t have happened. There was no scar.

“Are you done?” Aymeric muttered sleepily. Estinien snapped back to reality and quickly finished removing the shirt. He struggled a bit with removing the pants but finally Aymeric was stripped down to his small clothes.

“Now lets get you some… or you can sleep like that,” He chuckled as he watched his friend fall back into bed. Making sure he was properly tucked in, he quickly stripped and moved to get into the bed from the other side. The bed was perfect and just like the last time he stayed over, he quickly drifted off.

The two slept like the dead until morning. Estinien was the first to awake; jerking as he felt something cold on his stomach. Confused, he realized Aymeric had moved to cuddle him. The coldness was the man’s fingers. He couldn’t help feel a warm, happy feeling at their position. That is until he felt something poking him from behind.

“…all men get that. Don’t imagine it as anything more,” He muttered to himself before finding himself with a similar problem. Wanting to stay in his current position, he tried to ignore it. But that warm feeling had turned into a burning annoyance. Grumbling, he slipped out from Aymeric’s embrace nad headed to the bathroom. As he took care of his problem, the other whined softly in his sleep as he reached for someone no longer there.

A few minutes later, Estinien came out of the bathroom feeling a bit better. Deciding to let Aymeric sleep, he quietly put on his pants before heading out front. He groaned as he realized he forgot to charge his phone. Finding a charger, he waited a few minutes for it to turn on. There were a couple messages but nothing dire. He replied to a few before messaging Krille.

>> _Need 16-23 off. Ask work_

<< _Will do. Everything okay?_

Since she agreed, he didn’t bother responding. She didn’t need to worry more about him than she already did.Setting it down, he sat for a minute trying to think of something to do. Aymeric would probably have a hangover so he could be a decent human and make breakfast… With that idea in mind, he made his way to the kitchen.

Cereal and milk wasn’t the best choice for a hangover so he decided to actually make something Examining the fridge, he pulled out eggs, sausage, cheese, and lastly vegetables with a look of disgust. Those were only going in Aymeric’s breakfast.

He started by cutting everything up first. Turning on the stove, he heard the toilet flush followed by faint shuffling from the bedroom. He poured a glass of orange juice and water knowing the man was going to need it. Setting them on the table, he began with the disgusting omlette first. Lots of vegetables with a little meat.

“Estinien…?” Aymeric called from his room.

“Busy cooking.”

The darker Elezen stepped out dressed out in casual attire. He took a seat at the table and looked at his drink options. “No coffee? I thought you were a barista,” He joked.

“I’m off today,” Estinien huffed as he shot a quick glare. He noticed the other looked a bit sickly even if he looked put together. “You look like shit though. Need me to make you some?”

“I should be alright,” Aymeric replied before taking a sip of water. “A bit of nausea and a headache but I do feel better mentally. Although I am a tad concerned with the lack of memories from last night.”

“Shall I start with the karaoke or the bar fight?”

“If I drank enough to do that, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

The two laughed. “Although I guess I should be worried since you are making breakfast,” Aymeric commented as he looked around the room. “Assuming Lucia brought us here, why isn’t she the one making breakfast?”

“She’s out warning everyone that the devil is coming,” Estinien replied while scooping the omlette onto a plate before beginning the second one.

“I wish she would have discussed with me first,” The darker Elezen muttered as he checked his phone. After a few moments he set it down without sending anything. “Although I guess she had the right idea. It’s better to start preparing as early as possible.”

“Can you even prepare for him? His loyal dogs like to fuck up anything you do,” The other countered as he tossed the second omelet onto a plate. “Gods, those pricks caused so much shit last time.”

“They’re not all bad. Janlenoux is a pretty nice guy,” Aymeric countered. His eyes lit up as hewatched breakfast be brought to the table. He was still a little nauseated but the idea of food seem to settle his stomach.

“Fine. Half of them are psychotic while the other half is decent. And then there’s Zephirin who’s a royal dick,” Estinien corrected as he set a plate in front of the other.

“I can agree with that.” Aymeric nodded before his attention was completely captured by breakfast. He cut himself a small bite and was surprised to find green in it. “You put vegetables in it?”

Estinien shrugged. “Only in yours. I know you like that shit.”

The man smiled as he took a bite. “It’s delicious. I’m always amazed at how well you can cook considering the state of your kitchen.”

“Shut-up and eat your damn food.”

Aymeric laughed and continued eating. The two fell into a comfortable silent for the rest of the meal. When he was done, he went to wash his dishes. “Hey, Estinien. What are your plans today?”

“Nothing much. I was thinking of going to the gym. Should probably pick up some milk too…”

“Prefect. Would you mind accompany me on some errands?” Aymeric asked while shooting the other a gentle smile. A smile Estinien learned to be weary of.

“…depends on what these errands are.”

The darker Elezen finished washing the dishes and returned to the table. “Nothing bad. I just need some help. But first you need to shower.”

Estinien sighed as he stood up. “Fine. Just give me a few minutes to get ready,” He said without a fuss. He may have learned to be weary of that smile, but he could never say no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soon I might be busy with work so this story might switch to updates every 2 weeks. I'll announce on my twitter if I do that.  
> Also on Twitter I'm holding a raffle for mogstation items, fanart, or a fanfic. Feel free to check it out~ It ends tomorrow May 21 at midnight PST. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy~ Remember that kudos and comments are great motivators.  
> You can follow me on twitter @diegoonnio


	4. All This For a Burger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Same old mafia AU now with more Hilda.

_BANG BANG BANG_

Aymeric lowered the gun when the last bullet was shot. The targets he was shotting at stopped moving as a buzzer went off. Pressing a nearby button, the targets began to move towards him. He set his gun down before frowning

“What are you disappointed at? You shot them all in the shoulder just like you wanted to,” Estinien commented while taking off his earmuffs. He didn’t care if it was against the rules. They were the only ones using the shooting range. “A mercy they don’t deserve but you do you.”

“This is why,” The darker explained as he pointed to one of the targets. There were two types of targets: red and blue. This one was blue. “The red ones represent my enemies. I was trying not to hit anyone innocent; which were the blue one.”

Estinien looked at the shooting range before giving a skeptical look at his friend. “You shot one wrong. In the shoulder. When it was flying around at faster speeds than a human could possibly move. How the fuck are you upset? That was a fantastic run.”

Aymeric smile in amusement. “Compared to if you tried, yes.”

“Sod off,” The lighter huff as he shoved his companion. “If I wanted, I could outshoot you any day.”

The darker chuckled but his expression quickly grew serious. “Estinien—“

“Don’t,” Estinien cut him off quickly. “Guns aren’t my thing anyway.”

Aymeric looked at him in concern before nodding. “Alright,” He said before moving to clean his gun. An awkward silence fell upon the two and although the darker wanted to address it, he knew the other didn’t want to talk about it.

It was the incident that happened seven years ago. Estinien had been directly involved but his mind had been too damaged to remember anything. There had been multiple deaths but with no reliable witnesses, the case could only move forward based off clues. The victims had been slashed multiple times with what was deemed Estinien’s knife. However the killing blow for all of them was a gun which was found at the crime scene. There were no fingerprints so Aymeric was able to use that to his advantage.

“Hey. Whatever you’re thinking, stop it.” Estinien glared at the other in annoyance. “I’m fine.”

Putting the gun away, Aymeric looked at him in concern. “Are you sure? It’s been seven years and you haven’t talked about it at all.”

“Because I’m _fine_.”

The darker sighed knowing this was a lost cause. “Alright. Lets get going,” He said as he finished cleaning up and then lead the way. The awkward silence began to fade as they walked. Their idle chit-chat helped soothed the tension. Especially Estinien’s question after they had been walking for almost ten minutes.

“So where the hell are we going?”

Aymeric couldn’t help but laugh as he gestured ahead. “Although Lucia went ahead to warn everybody, there’s a few people I wish to talk to in person,” He explained as he continued to lead. “I won’t be able to monitor everyone while my father is visiting. These people can be my eyes while I deal with him.”

“So family business. Got it. Does this mean I’m going to have to wait outside?”

“…yes.”

Estinien snorted as he guessed right. “Lucky me. Fine but you owe me lunch. Maybe even dinner if you take long enough.”

“I can do that,” Aymeric replied with a relieved smile. ‘Thank-you. Having you near keeps me calm.”

“Of course. I’m not like those stuff bastards who—“ He cut off as he was given an icy stare. “Don’t give me that look. They’re fucking stuffy.”

“While some of them are a bit… uptight,” Aymeric defended slowly. “They’re good people.”

“…just say they’re stuffy.”

“Fine. They’re stuffy.”

Estinien grinned at his victory while the other sulked. After a few more minutes, the two arrived at the first stop: The Skysteel Manufactory. They entered to see two men bickering.

“What is with all these piles of junk?”

“They’re not junk, father. They’re valuable sources of material.”

Aymeric muttered to his friend, “I see these two haven’t changed a bit.” Estinien snorted and the two men turned to look at them. “Greetings, Ser Baurendouin and Stephanivien. If both of you are here then that means Lucia already spoke to you?”

“That she did,” Baurendouin answered first with a scowl. “You sure that old bat is up to something? Maybe he’s just visiting you.”

“As much as I would like that,” Aymeric started although he wasn’t sure if he would like that. “We’re not sure what he’s up to. It’s better to be on guard than be caught unaware. That’s why I decided to speak with you first.”

“Because the Haillenarte family was close to Thordan was in his prime?”

The darker sighed but remained firm. “To be honest, that was part of the reason. However I see your family as a valuable asset. Thanks to Stephanivien’s work, the Brume has been able to benefit from technological improvements.”

The two stared each other down as Estinien and Stephanivien watched in silence. Finally Baurendouin sighed while turning to the backroom. “I do prefer pratical use over weapons. Lets talk in the back.”

Aymeric smiled before turning to his companion. “Wait here. I’ll be back soon.”

Baurendouin raised an eyebrow as they headed to the backroom. “You still don’t involve him to these meetings? He’s practically your guard dog already.”

“He chose to be my friend, not apart of my family. I will respect his wishes and keep him separate,” Aymeric explained before the door closed behind them.

Estinien frowned at the words but they were right. It wasn’t that he wanted to be involved more. He actually loathed the idea of working hard doing whatever mafia families did. He enjoyed his current position as Aymeric’s close friend. This way he was able to support the man while not having to deal with all the headaches.

Is what he told himself. He knew he had his own problems and didn’t want to make Aymeric’s life harder by having those problems become his burden too. As friends, his problems could stay his own.

The front door suddenly opened causing him to snap out of his thoughts. Thinking the worse, he hand slid to his pocket but he quickly relaxed. “Hey, Hilda. What brings you here?”

“That should be my question.” The dark-hair woman grinned as she spotted him. “I have a gun and bike I regularly come here for. Last I checked, you have trouble even operating a mechanical can opener.”

“I do not,” He growled causing her to laugh. “I did go to school for mechanics a while back.”

“But you failed?” She teased before noting something dark in his gaze. Knowing not to question it, she casually moved the subject on. “Well I’m sure Stephanivien would mentor you if you were still interested. Speaking of which… where is he?”

He gestured towards the back room. “In a meeting right now. Aymeric made it sound like it wouldn’t be that long.”

“A meeting with Aymeric?” She questioned as she stared intently at the door. “Does it have to do with why I saw Lucia running around earlier?”

“…yeah,” He replied slowly as he tried to recall Hilda’s connection to all the families and underworld dealings. “You’re just in a gang, right?”

“It’s a neighborhood watch!”

“Gang. Got it,” He snorted making her pout. “You’re not connected to any of the families?”

She was giving him a small glare as she explained, “As the _neighborhood watch_ we’re neutral to all that stuff. I’ve helped out with the Borel and Haillenarte family a lot though. And… I use to be pretty close to the Durendaire family but not as much now.”

“The Durendaire family…” He repeated while trying to recall why that name felt important. Seeing his concerned, Hilda spoke up.

“They currently have a small feud with the Fortemps family.”

He groaned as that sparked his memory. He remembered Aymeric getting frustrated with the Durendaire’s antics. When Aymeric became friendly with the Fortemps, Durendaire nearly broke contact. However they still remained loyal enough to be a part of the Four Families. “Do you know anything about them now?”

She shook her head. “No. They’ve become very exclusive. They don’t like outsiders help.”

“Of course they don’t…” He sighed before recalling something. “But weren’t you close before? Why did you get kicked out?”

“Oh I was never close to the family. I just helped my friends,” She laughed as if Estinien told a funny joke. “But once Janlenoux became a part of Thordan’s bodyguards, the rest of the family kicked me to the curb.”

Estinien blinked while trying to quickly process what she just said. “Fuck,” He hissed as the backdoor opened. “Aymeric, we have a problem.”

The three men stepped out with confused expression but Aymeric’s face quickly turned serious. “What is it?”

“The Durendaire family might be working with your father.”

There was a moment of silence before Baurendouin sighed. “Next you’ll be saying the Dzmael family could also be working for him. We already figured that out. Unless you found proof, you should shut you mouth.”

Estinien ground as the treatment but calmed slightly as Aymeric shot him an apologetic smile. “Ser Baurendouin, I want him to tell me stuff like that just in case we don’t know,” He explained peacefully before looking at Hilda. “And Miss Hilda, what a pleasent surprise. I was meaning to speak with you too.”

“Like right now?” She asked while glancing at the younger Haillenarte. Stephanivien’s face lit up as he remembered why she was here. “Can we speak later? I have some business here too.”

“Of course. Contact me at your earliest convience,” Aymeric nodded with a small nod. Behind him, Stephanivien was already running off to get Hilda’s work while his father scowled. “Now I must bid the rest of you good day. I have a lot of work to get done today.”

“See you later~”

“Good day,” Baurendouin said before his son turned on some loud machinery. Estinien scowled as the noise as he and Aymeric left the three to their own jobs. They walked in silence for a moment before the white haired Elezen spoke up.

“So how’d it go.”

The only answer he received for a moment was a sigh. “It could have gone better,” Aymeric replied sullenly. Estinien waited quietly for the other to continue. “His children have the good sense to see past easy profits. While he’s mostly supportive of their endeavors, he’s questioning if the old ways were better.”

“Right. Drugs and organs and all that shit were great for a quick buck,” The other scoffed in annoyance. “Not great for health though. Can’t we just use his children and forget about him?”

“That’s not how it works and you know it,” Aymeric sighed but couldn’t help but smile at the suggestion. “Still Stephanivien has shown considerable support for my plans and Francel seems to be close with Haurchefant and the Fortemps; even against his father’s wishes.”

“Sounds like they’re fucking,” Estinien commented earning smack on the arm.

“Don’t be crude especially about good people.”

Estinien just laughed it off before they continued on their way. They headed to a couple of businesses supported by the Borel family. Most of them were excited to see Aymeric and thanked him for his hard work in restoring their city. Their talks seemed to be favorable as the darker’s mood improved with each business.

“Are we done yet?” The lighter groaned as they left from their fifth visit. He knew he was here for emotional support but the other seemed to be happier and more confident now. Was he really needed now?

“No. But we can take a break,” Aymeric chuckled as he glanced at his phone. “We’re near your cafe. How about there?”

“I was hoping for something with a bit more meat,” Estinien grumbled before pausing. “Actually, lets stop by. I need to check something.”

The two walked a bit further until they were at the cafe. “Welcome,” Krile chimed before looking at her coworker in confusion. “You know you don’t work today, right?”

“No shit.” Estinien rolled his eyes before stepping behind the counter. “Pour me some hot water.”

“If you’re not working. You don’t get few drinks.”

“I’m paying,” He called from the backroom. Grabbing the clipboard, he returned to the front. He set it down before quickly starting a tea and grabbing himself a coffee. “I came to see if everything got covered.”

Krile made a disgruntled sound as he unclipped the top pages and scattered them so he could read the schedule. He was happy until he saw one day wasn’t covered. “Did everyone see this yet?”

“Yes,” She replied while gathering the papers that fell. “Everyone was nice enough to pick up your shifts surprisingly. But everyone’s busy that day.”

“It is weekend closing,” He muttered as he examined the days. “Maybe we could switch people around.”

“Last time you tried that, Tataru nearly killed you for making a mess.”

“Maybe I can try?” Aymeric offered. “If it’s alright, of course.”

“Considering your family probably owns part of this company somewhere, go ahead,” Krile laughed as she slid over the schedule. Estinien shook his head before moving to finishing up a tea for his friend and pouring himself another coffee. He quickly paid and then moved to look at the schedule again.

“Well we have these options…” The darker finally said after staring at the paper for a few moments. Krile and Estinien looked over what he suggested before shaking their heads.

“Except for the last one, those wouldn’t work.”

Aymeric sighed before a tea was placed in front of him. “Thanks, Estinien. I guess we’ll just have to wait to hear from G’raha.”

The three of them continued to stare at the paper even as the entrance bell jingled. Krille was the first one to notice their new guest. “Speak of the devil… Hey, Raha! Come here a moment. We were wondering if you could pick up Lyse’s shift so she could pick up Estinien’s shift here…”

Making his way to the counter, he shook his headas he saw what she was pointing to. “Sorry, I can’t. That’s when my intership starts,” He explained causing Estinien to sigh in frustration.

“I think that day won’t hurt,” Aymeric chuckled softly as he patted the other Elezen’s arm. After talking to the people he did, he felt a bit better about the situtation. “He’s leaving that night. I doubt he’ll cause trouble.”

“I guess. I’ll just call out if something happens.”

“You have some nerve saying that in front of your coworkers,” Krille scolded but her expression held some worry. Noticing G’raha’s confusion, she quickly smiled at him. “Ah, don’t worry about this. It’s nothing serious.”

Aymeric also smiled at him. “My father is coming to visit. Estinien doesn’t like him.” A flash of concern crossed Krile’s face at that.

“That’s an understatement,” Estinien grumbled as he picked up his coffee cup and stepped back. “Looks like we have to play it by ear. Sorry, Krille. You might be opening alone that day.”

“If you’re sorry, then you’ll show,” She huffed before sighing. Reorganizing the clipboard, she handed it to G’raha. “Can you put this in the back when you grab your apron?”

“Of course. See you guys.” He waved at the Elezens before he went into the back. Krile watched a second before turning to them.

“Thordan’s coming?”

The two blinked in surprise at the question. “How the fuck do you know him?” Estinien asked in confusion. “I thought you kept your nose clean.”

“I do. But since I know what’s out they, I can’t pretend it doesn’t exist,” She stated firmly before looking at them in worry. “Will everything be alright?”

Aymeric smiled at her. “I promise. I won’t let things go back to the way they were before.”

“Just be careful,” She replied softly before glancing at Estinien. A small smirk made it’s way onto her lips. “After all, you tend to babysit this problem child full-time. You truly have the patience of a saint.”

Estinien growled as he grabbed Aymeric’s arm. “We’re leaving,” He said before starting to drag his friend to the door.

“We’ll be careful.” The darker smiled with a nod. “Have a nice day.”

Krile called after them a good-bye as they exited the store. Aymeric glanced at the other before chuckling. “You know, I never feel like I’m babysitting you. She was just teasing you.”

“I know that,” Estinien huffed with a small pout as he let go of his partner. The man laughed while stepping ahead to lead.

“Would burgers have enough meat for you?” Aymeric asked with a teasing grin. The other grinned but nodded so they began to walk to their favorite place near the cafe. When they reached the entrance, he paused as his phone buzzed a few times. “Sorry… looks like we’ll have to do take-out.”

“Something happen?” The lighter asked while opening the door. Loud music greeted him and he was glad they were grabbing their food and running.

Aymeric frowned as he read the messages and entered the building. “I think so. The messages are a bit confusing.”

“Then lets hurry.” Estinien said before stepping to the counter. “Take-out. One Titan Burger.”

“Would you like that as a combo?”

The darker smiled as the other glanced at him with a hopeful look. “Yes. With a coke,” He answered causing Estinien to grin. “And I’ll have… the Vortex Salad. Nothing else, thank-you.”

The host rang them up and Aymeric paid before moving out of the way to stand. Taking out his phone, he began to frown again causing the other to speak up. “Do you need to call them? I can wait here.”

“That… might be a good idea. Thanks,” Aymeric said before stepping outside. Estinien stood there growing annoyed as the music blared some pop tune for teens. He never understood music but even he could tell this generation had crappy taste. Luckily their food didn’t take much longer. Grabbing it, he quickly headed outside.

He spotted Aymeric still talking on the phone with a concern expression. Not wanting to interrupt, he quietly walked over and took a seat on the nearby railing. He sipped his drink as he waited for the other to finish talking. Plus this was he could hear what was happening without being told it was nothing.

“You think Iceheart did this?” Aymeric sighed as he shook his head. “No. I doubt it was her. Whoever is doing this wants us to think it was those from Dravania. You said Ser Fortemps was on his way? Good. I’ll be there soon as well. We’ll confirm that it was a copycat. Alright. Bye.”

He hung up and jumped slightly when he saw Estinien sitting next to him and watching. “Ysayle’s being blamed? For what?”

“…drugs,” Aymeric said slowly, unsure of how much the other heard. “Apparently a snowflake was found among the scene so there’s suspicion on her right now.”

“Scene?”

The darker exhaled slowly. Of course he didn’t hear that. Too late to lie now. “There was some violence. An unknown drug caused their anger to spike and they attacked someone. Both were found unconscious but luckily alive.”

“Found unconscious…?” Estinien repeated recalling the details of his incident seven years ago. “Do you think—“

“No.”

“I didn’t say anything yet!”

“But I know you,” Aymeric said firmly before his expression soften. “I don’t know happen but I don’t want you jumping into something dangerous. Now hand me my salad. Thanks for your company today.”

Estinien blinked. “What? You can’t just kick me to the side. I’m coming too.”

“I’m heading to the jail.”

“…fuck the police,” The lighter growled, not wanting to go anywhere near that place. Plus he was sure the police would be suspicious if he arrived. “Fine. Here’s you damn salad. At least you’ll have the Fortemps with you.”

Aymeric took his meal and smiled. “Thanks again. Now don’t get into trouble.”

“Yes, mom,” Estinien mocked as he waved the other off. Once he was alone, he began to eat his burger. What was he suppose to do the rest of the day? Glancing at his watch, he sighed when it was only 12:02. “Why can’t bars open for lunch? I could use a drink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I THINK I'm back on track. I've been working on trying to get a job while being sick and it's been a big headache. Now everything should be okay.  
> Also moved the update to Sundays. That'll probably work better for me but we'll see.   
> I hope you all enjoy~ Remember that kudos and comments are great motivators.
> 
> You can follow me on twitter @diegoonnio


	5. The Joys of the Law

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the author realizes they introduced something too early and had to change an idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The families follow similar roles as the Houses from FFXIV with some minor differences. Like Thordan and Aymeric are part of Borel which control the area.   
> Fortemps is most loyal to Aymeric   
> Haillenarte is friendly with Fortemps and therefore Aymeric  
> Durendaire is neutral-ish  
> Dzemael has strong ties with Thordan but are in a bit of disarray

Aymeric was only slightly disappointed when Estinien didn’t follow but it was for the best. In the eyes of the police, Estinien was a criminal. He may have kept his records clean the past seven years but anyone involved with that case would recognize him. And considering what little he knew about the current incident, that would be bad for them.

He spotted a familiar car as he rounded the corner. Smiling, he slipped inside back and picked up a folder waiting for him. “The police station,” He said before flipping through the papers. “Oh. I thought this was about our current problem. I was about to be quite impressed.”

“I’m good, but not that good,” Lucia commented as she merged into traffic. “But I was at the Falcon’s Nest when they received the news. A man named Drillemont was found this morning having attacked a man named Guillaime and signs of hardcore drug use. According to the Falcon’s Nest, Drillemont was an example of a perfect rolemodel when it came to conduct. It’s an odd situation to find him in.”

“Thank-you for the information. Did you hear anything about Iceheart?”

“I wasn’t aware she was involved.”

“Her symbol, or one representing Dravania, was found at the crime scene,” He explained with a small frown.

“Dravania has been getting into drugs recently but none of our reports have showed these drugs to be a problem. Should we change this?”

Aymeric thought for a moment before shaking his head. “Lets see what we find out first. Ysayle has been an invaluable ally even if our ways our different. I don’t want to falsely accuse her or Dravania on a guess.”

“Understood,” Lucia replied as she fell silent and focused on traffic. Stopping at the light, she glanced in the mirror at the other who was reading what was in the folder. “Everything seems to be in order so I just gave you basic reports. Let me know if you have any questions.”

“This is perfect,” He said while reading. At least this was going smoothly. However he couldn’t but feel pity for himself when he noticed she didn’t check on any of the four families. He knew that would fall upon him even if he wished she would talk to Dzemael for him. Luckily he had one family out of the way.

The rest of the car ride was quiet as he read. When he was finished skimming over everything, he looked up to see Lucia turning into the parking lot. He let himself out when they parked and headed to the building knowing she’d follow.

“Good afternoon,” A blond hyur greeted from behind the entrance desk. His face turned to one of surprise as he recognized Aymeric. “My name is Cyr. How can I help you?”

“Good afternoon,” Aymeric greeted politely with a nod. “I’m Aymeric de Borel. We’re here about Drillemont. A man named Edmont de Fortemps should already be here.”

“He is. Give me one moment,” Cyr said before typing. After a few moments, there was a small beep. “Please proceed through the doors are your left. Do you need a clearance card?”

“Yes, please.”

“Understood,” Cyr typed a bit more and eventually handed over a card. “Here you are. Ser Fortemps is in room B2. There will be an elevator at the end of the hallway you can take.”

“Thank-you.” Aymeric smiled before taking the card. He went first followed closely by Lucia. When they were out of earshot, she chuckled softly.

“He certainly seems like a good kid. But he looked a bit too nice to be working in this field.”

“Isn’t that what you said about me when we were younger,” The Elezen teased.

“Yes and I still think that,” She sighed quietly as they boarded the elevator. “Unfortunately you were born into you job.”

He smiled faintly. “You’re right. But because of that I can make a difference.”

She shot him a knowing look but didn’t say more as the elevator doors opened. The two stepped out and Aymeric lead the way to B2. There were three people already in there; Edmont and his two assistants.

“Aymeric! How good it is to see you again,” Edmont greeted as he stood. Holding his hand out, the other Elezen shook it before being pulled into a semi-hug. “Unfortunately it couldn’t be under better circumstances. Although, a little bird from the Durendaire family hinted you would be visiting me with unpleasant news.”

“Indeed, Ser Edmont.”

The elder raised his hand to interrupt him. “Please. I told you to drop the formalities. I may be older than you but you’re doing more to earn respect than me.”

“Alright.” Aymeric nodded with a sheepish smile before taking a seat. Glancing at the papers on the table, he grabbed what looked like the main report. ‘Have you found out anything new?”

Edmont slid over an additional document. “Turns out Dravania was involved but not in the way we thought. The victim, Guillaime, has actually been dead for a month now but wasn’t filled properly. A Dravanian was pretending to be him but that appears to be the only involvement.”

“Do we know why they sent someone like that here?”

“I tried contacting Iceheart but she was too busy to respond fully,” He continued while pulling out his phone. He showed the message he received. “She doesn’t have business with us. But apparently they’ve had some trouble recently and think that person is here.”

“Wonderful,” Aymeric sighed in annoyance. “I didn’t need any bad news right now. I’ll contact her later. Please tell me you have some good news.”

Edmont shook his head slowly. “Turn to page eight of what you’re reading right now. There was obvious drug usage but the source is unknown. And this one…” He pointed to another document on the table. “Are the records from Estinien’s case. They sounded similar so I had them pulled as well.”

Aymeric froze before reading page eight. He still remember clearly all the details from the incident seven years ago. His frown grew as he read. “They’re the same up until here. Estinien didn’t have the stomach problems nor the random bleeding and while he wasn’t conscious per se, he wasn’t completely blacked out and unresponsive. It could be a stronger dose or something different…”

“I was told the blood tests were almost done. We just need to wait on those,” The elder said gently as he tried to lighten the mood for his next question. “But while we wait, why don’t you tell me about Thordan?”

The younger barely suppressed a groan as he set down the papers he was reading. Now that Dravania wasn’t involved nor anyone related to him, he could relax about that and focus on the future problem that was his father. He explained what little he knew of the visit as well as what they were currently doing to prepare. Talking about it made him realize how little they had actually planned.

“So he’ll be here in less than a week.” Edmont frowned as he processed this information. “That explains why Haurchefant wanted to speak to me too. He mentioned you filled him in while drunk…?”

A faint blush crept onto Aymeric’s cheeks as he coughed. “I was a little… high strung after getting the message. Estinien took me out to drink to cool down.”

Edmont shot the other a knowing glance before the door opened. A bored looking officer stepped in and looked around with disinterest. “The lab results came in. Do you need help reading them?”

“That won’t be necessary. Thank-you,” The elder dismissed him with a smile after he took the results.. Looking at the page, he handed it over to one of his assistants.

“They did full testing of hair, saliva, and urine as well,” Firmien noted with satisfaction as he compared Estinien’s results. His mood slowly darkened. “While not needed, it does give a better view of if it’s the same drug or not. There are some spots that don’t match but if I had to guess, it was the same drug but modified.”

“Thank-you, Firmien,” Edmont replied in place of Aymeric, who had stiffened at the news. “So our hunch was right. It is Nidhogg. At least he doesn’t pull stunts like this often.”

“And how is that suppose to be a good thing?” Aymeric said sharply. “This isn’t even that big for him. How-“

He cut off as Edmont motioned for him to be quiet. “What I mean is you don’t need to worry about this right now,” He explained before stopping the other from answering. “My sons will look into the matter. You need to prepare for your father.”

Aymeric opened his mouth to argue but ended up sighing. “You’re right. As much as I would rather end this, now isn’t the best time.”

“I’m glad you see reason,” Edmont laughed before gesturing to his men. “Is there anything else you need? If not, I’ll walk you out. Oh, and I already have copies of everything on the table. Take what you need.”

Lucia began to gather up the papers as her boss stood. “That’ll be all for today. I’ll contact you later,” Aymeric said as he headed to the door. Edmont followed him and both groups left together. They made small talk while they walked which eased his nerves. He was lucky the Fortemps family was on his side.

Saying their good-byes, Aymeric headed to his car. He stared at the new paperwork he had to go over and sighed. Sometimes he wished he could live a more normal life. He had the option once, but he didn’t like how his father ran things.

“Sir?” Lucia interrupted his musing. “Where to?”

“…is it too early for a drink?”

“You still have work to do,” She commented while beginning to type an address in her GPS. “But I’m sure the Haillenarte family will gladly provide you a glass.”

Aymeric cracked a smile at her banter. “Then onto the Haillenarte’s estate,” He ordered as a formality as she already began to move. At least they would be easy to talk to. Probably…

Meanwhile Estinien was doing what he did best. Absolutely nothing. He had returned to his apartment and cleaned up a bit but his drive quickly left him. Now he was laying on the couch debating on doing some exercising. Rolling off, he began to do a few push-ups before noticing a pamphlet peaking out from under the couch. He stopped and curiously grabbed it.

“Right… Aymeric’s attempt at making me a role model citizen,” He snorted as he read the cover. It was an ad for the local university from a year ago. They were having a two week long event where people could see how the different majors worked along with future paths. He ended up not going. The exact reason was hard to remember but it was probably lack of interest combined with bad memories.

He closed his eyes as he recalled the university. Aymeric had been proud of him seven years ago when he enrolled. That was enough to keep him working hard. He didn’t know what he wanted to do then, but he was happy. Now he still didn’t know what he wanted to do but that feeling was gone. “Maybe I should go back…”

There was a number and a website on the pamphlet but instead of looking into either of those, he just laid there. Too bad monsters weren’t real. Traveling the world fighting sounded a lot more appealing. Maybe he’d even have a little dragon companion…

He snorted to himself before sitting up. A life like that could never exist even if it sounded nice. Standing up, he began to busy himself again. His life wasn’t going anywhere but he was content with it.

After a few hours of house hold tasks and loafing around, he found himself at the Dragonhead Lounge. Haurchefant was busy working again. The place wasn’t too busy but the bartender seemed to have his hands busy tending to a group of girls. He smirked in amusement as he watched. The show would have been better if he had a drink.

“Apologies for the delay, sir,” Haurchefant greeted before making a dramatic show of surprise. “Estinien? I didn’t know you went outside without Aymeric!”

“Fuck you too,” Estinien laughed along with the other as his usual drink was made. “Unfortunately he’s busy with work. So you’re stuck with just me today.”

“Pity. You’re not as fun of a drunk,” The baretender sighed before handing over the drink. “But that’s too be expected. I got a call before coming in. Er… are you in the loop?”

Estinien frowned at the question. “No, but I do know is Iceheart is involved and possibly Nidhogg.

Haurchefant blinked in surprised before shaking his head. “Your information is outdated,” He explained while trying to think of how to explain things. Finally he just smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing too bad.”

“Just enough for you the mafia to be interested and you to be on guard?”

“Blunt as always,” He chuckled half-heartedly before he was called. “Looks like I’m being summoned. Sorry, but you know I can’t tell you more since you’re technically not involved. I can serve you alcohol. Let me know if you need more~”

Estinien waved him off before taking a sip of his drink. He came here to stop worrying about the future yet it still found him here. The mafia was something he didn’t want to join but he wanted to protect Aymeric. Hard to do that when he was constantly forced out of the loop.

He drank slowly as he tried to distance his thoughts. Worrying about the future wasn’t going to help him and he didn’t want to think about it right now. Soon his mind begane to wander while paying attention to nothing in particular.

“How about a drink for the brooding Elezen over there?” A voice said near him but he didn’t regester that he was the Elezen.

“For him? Fair warning his personality is a bit… spiky.”

“Well I do like a challenge.”

Estinien finished his drink as the stranger laughed. He turned to order another one and was surprised when someone sat next to him. He eyed the man suspiciously. Something about him seemed familiar. Black hair, red eyes… he glanced at the man’s left arm to see no tattoo. Great. Now he was being paranoid.

“Mind if I sit here?” The stranger asked with an amused smile. That look ticked Estinien off but he had to admit the other did catch his attention. There was a lot about him that he liked.

Plus he was a sucker for black-haired Elezens.

“Do what you want,” Estinien shrugged as he noticed Haurchefant coming over with two drinks. The bartender handed one to the stranger before handing one to him with a look of both concern and a warning not to cause trouble. “Thanks.”

“Thank him,” Haurchefant replied with a customer service smile. “I’ll be over here if you need anything else.”

The two were left alone. There was a moment of silence between them. Estinien wasn’t a stranger to flirting at bars but it had been a while. The stranger didn’t seem to mind though. “So… have a name, handsome?”

He snorted at the predictable compliment. It was nice to received though. “Estinien. Thanks for the drink…?” He trailed off and gestured to the other to say his name.

There was a pause before the man answered. “You can call me, Ratatoskr.”

Another pause followed Estinien letting out a quiet snort. “That’s an odd name.”

“And Estinien is normal?” The stranger countered with a smirk. “But it’s definitely an old name. I thought it was a nice name though.”

“That’s not your real name?”

The other looked away sheepishly. “Well… Lets just say my name isn’t giving off the image I want it to.”

“That bad?” Estinien chuckled as he tried to imagine what kind of name the other had. “Well Ratatoskr makes you sound like an old dragon. Why not keep it simple and… just use the first letter? Unless you’re name is something like Drew. You’ll get a lot of dick jokes.”

The darker thought for a moment before nodding slowly. “That’s not a bad idea,” He answer before shooting his companion an amused smile.

“I’m N. A pleasure to meet you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sort of got a job :D Chapters should be at least once every two weeks but we'll see. I /think/ everything is planned out but I thought that last time and was wrong.


End file.
